YUCK!? The GROSS Truth about Morning Breath!

Well doesn’t this article just want to make you brush your teeth…again and again and again. Written by Howard Bennett for “KidsPost”, it gives some insight as to why we all get “morning breath”. Don’t knock anyone over trying to get to the sink to freshen up tomorrow morning. Hope you are all having a wonderful day!

Monday, June 28, 2010
It's a cozy Sunday morning as you sneak into your parents' bedroom for some snuggle time. You carefully slip between your mom and dad, feeling the warmth of their bodies. Then your mom turns over, smiles gently and pulls you close for a little kiss. However, instead of the inviting smell you normally associate with your mom, you are enveloped in the foulest breath that has ever left a human body!
How could someone who looks so good on the outside smell so bad on the inside? When you complain about your mom's breath, she tries to convince you that yours is just as bad. You're sure she's wrong. After all, when you exhale into your hands and sniff, your breath smells fine.
Is your mom right? Does your morning breath smell just as bad as hers? If it does, whose idea was it to turn the human mouth into a garbage can after a night of blissful sleep?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but your mom is right. It's a fact that people are unable to smell their own breath.
The human mouth is home to billions of bacteria. These microscopic organisms don't make you sick, but they grow like weeds on every structure in your mouth: tongue, teeth, gums, cheeks, etc. And like all living things, bacteria produce waste products. It is their waste products that give your parents (and you) such horrible breath in the morning.
People can have bad breath during the day as well, but something happens at night that makes the problem much worse when you wake up. Because you don't eat or drink when you sleep, huge numbers of bacteria that would normally be washed down your throat have the opportunity to "party" til dawn. And as those bacteria gorge themselves and reproduce, they foul the air around them.
However, instead of being mad at these invisible fiends, you should pity them. As soon as you wake up, eat breakfast and brush your teeth, most of them will be swallowed and killed by the acids in your stomach.
-- Howard Bennett

Howard Bennett, a Washington pediatrician and author of health-related books for kids, writes about gross things for KidsPost

Top ten tips for keeping your braces, and teeth clean!

Keeping your teeth clean is more important than ever when you have braces. Food bits have more spots than usual to hide in your mouth, so you must be diligent in order to avoid bad breath, swollen gums, discolored teeth and cavities. If you remove plaque regularly during treatment, you'll experience better results and shorter treatment time. Keep plaque at bay with these top ten tips:

1. One tooth at a time. When you brush, take time with each individual tooth – at least 10 seconds each – and pay careful attention to the spots where your teeth touch your braces.

2. It’s all about the angles. Brush the tops of your teeth and braces with your brush angled down toward where they meet. Brush the bottoms of your teeth and braces with your brush angled up.

3. The tooth, the whole tooth, nothing but the tooth. While the front surface of your teeth may seem like the most logical to clean, it’s equally important to clean the inner surface of your teeth (tongue side) as well as the chewing surface. And be sure to clean along your gum line – a key spot for plaque buildup.

4. Step 1: eat, step 2: clean. While you’re in treatment, it’s important to brush after every meal. Bits of food can easily get caught between braces and teeth, and these food bits interact with bacteria in your mouth to cause decay. The longer food is in contact with your teeth, the greater opportunity for plaque to form. If you are eating somewhere that you can’t brush, thoroughly rinse your mouth with water.

5. Like a Boy Scout, always be prepared. The easiest way to be sure you can brush after every meal is to get in the habit of taking a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss with you wherever you go. Designate a special container just for your teeth-cleaning tools and keep it in your purse, backpack, or laptop case.

6. Remove the moving parts. If you have elastic bands or headgear, remove these parts before you brush or floss.

7. Fluoride is your friend. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Be sure to brush with fluoride toothpaste, and rinse with fluoride mouthwash.

8. Pointy brushes reach tiny places. Interproximal brushes (sometimes called proxa brushes or interdental brushes) are cone-shaped and come in very handy for reaching spots around your braces that standard brushes can’t.

9. Find the floss for you. Regular floss works for some patients, but others find it easier to work with a floss threader, which helps you get the floss into tight places. Other patients like an all-in-one product called Superfloss, which comes with a stiff end for easy threading, a spongy section for cleaning wide spaces, and regular floss for narrow spaces.

10. Make time for the pros. It’s your job to take care of the everyday cleaning. But make sure to visit your dentist regularly while in treatment, to get the deep, thorough cleaning that only a professional can provide. If you need help finding the right dentist for you, feel free to contact our office - we’d love to help!

Hope this helps!

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. - e.e. cummings

Salins Orthodontics Reminding You To Smile This June! National Smile Month

It’s June already! Where does the time go? We know our patients have plenty to smile about, with graduations, and summer just around the corner, but we are excited to tell you June marks National Smile Month! This is a great time to remind our patients to brush, floss, practice good nutrition at home (and over the summer) to avoid cavities and gum disease, among other dental health issues.

After all, there’s more and more evidence that suggests folks with gum disease are more at risk for serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

Here are a few easy steps you can improve your oral health at home:

* Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
* Floss everyday to clean between your teeth and braces
* Reduce your intake of sugary foods and drinks during orthodontic treatment.
* Visit your general dentist regularly (usually every six months apart).

If you have questions about any of the tips here, we encourage you to give us a call! Congratulations to all the recent grads!